1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors, especially to a Central Processing Unit (CPU) connector having an actuation device for actuating the connector to engage with pins of a CPU.
2. Description of the prior art
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a prior art CPU connector 6 for electrically connecting a CPU with a printed circuit board (PCB) is shown. The connector 6 has a housing 7, a cover 8 having a plurality of holes formed therein and being slidable on the housing 7 and an actuation device 9 for actuating the cover 8 to slide on the housing 7.
The actuation device 9 comprises a cam 91 and a plate 92. The cam 91 has a pivot portion 93 for inserting through aligned hole 921 in the plate 92 and then being riveted thereto. When the cam 91 is rotated, the cover 8 slides on the housing 7 to electrically connect the CPU with the PCB.
However, the conventional CPU connector actuation device 9 is relatively difficult to be controlled due to inherent structure of the cam 91. The rotation of the cam 91 is irregularly and rotation degrees of the cam 91 cannot be controlled accurately such that idle stroke situations or over-actuation of the cover 8 occur occasionally.
Accordingly, an improved actuation device is required to overcome the above disadvantage of conventional CPU connector actuation device 9.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having an actuation device for accurately actuating the connector to engage with pins of a CPU.
To achieve the above object, an electrical connector in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a base and a cover. The base having a plurality of passageways opened therein. The cover being slidably engaged with the base. A gear and a rack engaged with the base and the cover. Wherein the rack is positioned in the cover and the gear is supported by the base, and the gear is rotatable to actuate the rack and therefore to slide the cover along the base. Because rotation of the gear is regularly and rotation degree of the gear can be controlled accurately, the actuation process can be operated precisely so as to idle stroke situations will not occur.